


Cat Parents

by softseoksoons



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cats, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Stray Cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25345789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softseoksoons/pseuds/softseoksoons
Summary: In retrospect, Doyoung should have seen this coming.His best friend had always been too kind for his own good, never one to turn down somebody in need. Or in this case, some feline in need.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 28
Kudos: 185
Collections: (let's get away) just the two of us: dotae fan week 2020





	Cat Parents

**Author's Note:**

> hello there! this is my submission for secrets/confessions theme for #dotaefanweek2020
> 
> I literally wrote this on a whim after seeing a cute prompt in the suggestions box haha, so it’s not the best but I hope you like it!!  
> the prompt: “taeyong sneaks a cat into the dorm”
> 
> this whole fic is dedicated to dotae nation gc <3 ily all thank you for adding me and for helping me decided to do this
> 
> SPECIAL THANKS to Summer for proofreading this for me :( you’re the best!
> 
> enjoy!

In retrospect, Doyoung should have seen this coming.

His best friend had always been too kind for his own good, never one to turn down somebody in need. Or in this case, some  _ feline _ in need.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


The week had started out completely normal, with the group taking a well deserved vacation after completing Punch promotions. 

Yuta left two days ago to visit his family in Osaka, Taeil trailing along. Mark and Johnny left the day after for Vancouver and Chicago, and Donghyuck decided to go on a weekend beach trip with the Dream members. That left the other four members in the dorms.

Specifically, leaving Doyoung and Taeyong alone on the 5th floor.

Doyoung had grown accustomed to waking up later in the mornings, trying to soak up as much sleep as he could after working hard for the first six months of the year with no breaks.

He sighed into his bedsheets, his muscles lax with comfort. He didn’t want to move for another year.

_ Scratch _

Doyoung stirred in his sleepy haze.

_ Scratch _

It was probably just the air conditioning.

_ Scratch _

With a reluctant sigh, Doyoung sat up in his bed, looking at his surroundings. Nobody was in the room with him since his manager was taking his own well deserved vacation.

The room was quiet for another few moments. Before…

_ Scratch Scratch Scratch _

Doyoung groaned and threw the covers off himself. He walked over to his door, where the sound was coming from, and threw it open, about to lament Taeyong for his jokes when he noticed nobody was on the other side.

Instead, rubbing up against his bare ankles, was a cat.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Taeyong wasn’t home yet, and Doyoung had no idea what to do. 

There was a tiny ball of black fur sleeping soundly in his lap as he looked at something on his phone.

Did Taeyong bring the kitten home?

Of course he did. How else was a baby kitten with no collar going to ascend five flights of stairs to their apartment building?

Doyoung looked down at the kitten in his lap, its ears twitching slightly with the rise and fall of its chest as it slept. He lightly patted the kitten’s back, careful to be gentle so the kitten didn’t wake up suddenly. He did not want to deal with scratches right now.

The kitten was so small, almost fitting completely in only one of Doyoung’s hands. Its fur was soft and stuck up in the most random of places. Doyoung tried his best to smooth it down, but it didn’t seem to want to budge. The fur was a deep black color, the kitten’s eyes even darker. It vaguely reminded Doyoung of Taeyong, who just recently dyed his hair back to black.

A little while later, the front door clicked open to reveal Taeyong making his way inside, holding a couple shopping bags on one of his arms.

“Hey Doyoung,” he called, taking his shoes off and stepping into the apartment. He made it about five steps before he noticed Doyoung’s lap and stopped dead in his tracks. There was a look of pure horror on his face.

“I should’ve known,” was Doyoung’s only response. He rolled his eyes when Taeyong didn’t move from his position. “I’m not going to kick your kitten out, hyung. So please stop looking like a goddamn statue.”

At that, Taeyong relaxed, if only slightly. He apprehensively walked to the kitchen to place the shopping bags on top of the counter. “I can explain,” he started.

“Oh really? I’d love to hear it,” Doyoung drawled.

Taeyong flinched at the sarcastic tone in Doyoung’s voice and walked over to sit next to him on the couch. He looked at the kitten in Doyoung’s lap, up at Doyoung’s face, back to the kitten, and back to Doyoung.

“Well?” Doyoung asked, voice lighter this time.

Taeyong hung his head. “I was on my way home last night and I saw something dart out from behind a trash can. I could barely make out what it was since it was so dark and it was raining. When I got closer, I found this little guy, shivering underneath a piece of cardboard. I couldn’t just  _ leave _ him there, Doyoung.”

Doyoung knew they couldn’t keep the kitten. Pets weren’t allowed in their building, not to mention Jaehyun was literally allergic. Doyoung  _ knew,  _ and yet when he saw the pleading look on Taeyong’s face, all he could do was sigh.

Taeyong knew he had won, because he smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around Doyoung’s neck.

“Get off me, you’re going to wake up the kitten,” Doyoung grumbled.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Apparently Taeyong had gone out so he could buy an overabundance of cat food, a litter box, and cat toys.

When Doyoung lightly knocked on Taeyong’s door to ask him if he was ready for dinner, there was no response. He opened the door slightly to look inside, only to find Taeyong with his back on the floor, the little kitten sitting triumphantly on his chest.

Scattered around Taeyong were about a dozen different cat toys, ranging from a squeaky toy,  _ do cats even play with squeaky toys? _ , to a toy fishing rod with a stuffed fish attached to the end. 

In the corner of the room, Doyoung noticed two small bowls, one with water and the other empty. There was also a small litter box as well as a big bag of cat food that rested against the wall.

“Doyoung!” Taeyong said happily, noticing Doyoung standing at the doorway.

“Uh, I just came to see if you were ready for dinner. What is all of this?” He tentatively asked, fully making his way into the room and closing the door behind him.

“This is just stuff I bought for Leo! Even if he isn’t here for long we still have to take care of him properly,” he stood up from where he was laying on the floor, the kitty,  _ Leo _ , resting in his hands.

“Leo?” Doyoung asked.

“What else am I going to call him?” Taeyong pouted, walking over to Doyoung.

“I don’t know, but I just know you’re going to get too attached to him and never want to give him up,” Doyoung said, voice blunt with the truth.

Taeyong pouted again, but didn’t say anything to deny Doyoung’s words.

Doyoung sighed. “Let’s go eat dinner.”

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


“How do you even know it’s a boy anyways?” Doyoung asked once they were done with dinner.

“I’m the animal whisperer Doyoung. Don’t underestimate my abilities.”

Doyoung only responded with a short laugh and a roll of his eyes.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


It had been two days since Doyoung discovered Leo outside his door.

It’s only been two days, and yet Doyoung couldn’t pry himself away from Leo’s side.

The kitten had instantly taken a liking to Doyoung when he had helped feed it while Taeyong went out with Jungwoo yesterday. He let Leo jump on his lap as he watched TV, and let the kitten sneak into his room at night and snuggle under his covers with him.

It had made Taeyong pout at first, saying “he’s my kitty, but he likes you more than me now” but even he couldn’t stop the smile on his face watching Doyoung play with Leo on the living room floor.

It was currently four in the afternoon. Taeyong was at the studio, wanting to spend some time on his songs while they were on vacation. Doyoung told him he was supposed to take the time to rest, but Taeyong had only countered saying his songs bring him joy and relaxation.

Doyoung couldn’t argue with that, so that left him with Leo for the afternoon. Leo was especially jumpy today, running all around where Doyoung was sitting on the floor. He still tripped when he tried to run too fast, but he always picked himself up and kept going. It was adorable, to say the least.

Suddenly, Doyoung’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out to see a text from Jaehyun.

_ Hey, wanna have dinner tonight? The four of us, your floor? _

Doyoung snorted before replying.

_ You guys just want my cooking. _

A reply came back almost instantly.

_ Damn right -Jungwoo _

Doyoung shook his head, smiling at his members’ antics. He didn’t mind cooking for two more people, plus it would be nice to have a small dinner together.

He stood up to check out what they had in the fridge, just in case he would need to go to the store, when he felt Leo scratching at the leg of his pants.

He smiled down at the kitten, looking up at him with pleading eyes, before his blood ran cold.

Jaehyun was allergic to cats.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


He hurriedly called Taeyong home, but not before making him stop and buy more green onions and kimchi.

“What’s the problem?” Taeyong asked when he walked into the apartment, greeting Leo with a little pat on his back,

Doyoung was behind the stove, about to fry some rice. When he heard Taeyong approach the kitchen, he turned around.

“Great! You’re back. Could you cut up the green onions for me? It’s for the rice,” Doyoung said in lieu of a greeting, turning his attention back to the pan in front of him.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Taeyong said, but he still took the green onions he bought out of the bag and moved over to the cutting board, grabbing a knife on the way.

“Jaehyun and Jungwoo are coming down for dinner tonight,” was Doyoung’s only response.

“Okay?”

Doyoung put down the spoon he was holding. He glared at Taeyong. “ _ Okay _ ? Have you forgotten that a certain Jung Jaehyun is allergic to cats.”

“Oh…” Taeyong breathed, momentarily forgetting the green onions before him. He looked over to the living room, where Leo was sitting on the couch, all curled up while the TV showed the latest episode of  _ It’s Okay Not To Be Okay _ .

“It’s like you don’t think,” Doyoung snapped, before realizing his words. He sighed, not wanting to get angry at Taeyong. He signed up for this too, he wasn’t completely blameless. “Are you done with the green onions?” He asked instead of further reprimanding Taeyong.

Taeyong nodded, silently handing Doyoung the cutting board with the finely chopped green onions. Doyoung slid them off the board and into the rice, giving the cutting board back to Taeyong.

Neither said anything, Doyoung silently working on dinner while Taeyong made the table.

Taeyong didn’t have to say anything for Doyoung to know he was holding a lot of guilt.

When he looked over, the other was currently placing down plates, but his steps were sluggish. He kept glancing over to where Leo had fallen asleep on the couch, the TV still playing.

Doyoung put down the spoon he was holding and turned down the stove heat to a simmer. He walked over to Taeyong and flicked the man on the back of the neck.

Taeyong immediately flinched and turned around. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Please stop moping. I’m sorry about what I said. It’s not your fault we’re in this mess. Like you said, you couldn’t just leave Leo out on the street alone,” Doyoung explained.

Taeyong’s shoulders dropped. “Still,” he mumbled. “I should’ve remembered Jaehyun was allergic. I don’t want him to be uncomfortable while we’re eating.”

Hesitating for a moment, Doyoung put a hand on Taeyong’s shoulder. “It’ll be fine. We’ll keep Leo in your room and change our clothes before they come down. We should also make sure Jaehyun doesn’t sit on the couch.”

“What would I do without you,” Taeyong said. He was still sulking, but there was a smile on his lips as he looked at Doyoung.

“Probably faint from exhaustion because if I don’t remind you to eat and sleep you won’t. You’re like my child at this point,” Doyoung quipped, but he gave Taeyong a reassuring smile.

About an hour later, Jaehyun and Jungwoo were at the door, letting themselves in.

“Hey!” They both called while taking their shoes off.

“I’m in the kitchen!” Doyoung called from his spot in front of the fridge, taking out the soy sauce.

Jungwoo joined Doyoung in the kitchen, the two of them talking about their days as Jaehyun made himself comfortable at the table.

“Where’s Taeyong hyung?” Jungwoo asked, helping Doyoung finish the salad he started as the other grabbed two plates of food to bring to the table.

“He’s just changing. Spilled cooking oil on himself earlier,” Doyoung explained, placing the plates down on the table and giving Jaehyun a smile.

In reality, Taeyong was trying to calm Leo down in his room. The little kitten woke up right before Jaehyun and Jungwoo arrived and was nothing from a ball of energy, wanting to play with Taeyong.

Doyoung just hoped the other would be able to calm the kitty down enough to be able to join them for dinner without any suspicion.

Both Jaehyun and Jungwoo nodded, accepting the explanation easily. 

Jaehyun stood up to help Doyoung transfer the dishes from the kitchen to the table as Jungwoo finished with the salad.

Once everything was set, Doyoung said, “I’m going to go to the bathroom real quick. Don’t eat without us.”

“As if hyung, but this food looks really good. So don’t take too long,” Jaehyun replied.

Doyoung walked to the hallway, but instead of walking into the bathroom he slipped himself inside Taeyong’s room.

“Everything okay here?” He asked.

Taeyong was currently on the floor, Leo soundly asleep in his arms.

“Yes,” Taeyong whispered, “but he stirs when I try to move him to his bed. Could you please help?”

Doyoung looked at the sight before him. Taeyong with his hair still wet from the shower he took, clad in an oversized white shirt and grey sweatpants. Leo sleeping silently in his arms, curling further into the crook of his elbow every few moments. The look of fondness on his face as he looked down at the kitten he was holding.

A smile made its way onto Doyoung’s face as he walked over and bent down to gently take Leo from Taeyong’s hands.

“What are you smiling about?” Taeyong asked, voice light.

“You two,” Doyoung replied honestly, making his way over to Leo’s bed against the wall. He put Leo down on the soft cushions, making sure the kitten wasn’t going to wake up before finally turning back around to face Taeyong.

Taeyong hadn’t moved from his spot, and instead was looking at Doyoung, the same look of fondness from earlier still on his face. This time directed at Doyoung.

“What?” Doyoung said, blushing under Taeyong’s gaze.

Taeyong shook his head. “Nothing,” he said quietly. He stood up and walked to the door. “Let’s go eat dinner.”

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Dinner almost went off without a hitch. 

Keyword  _ almost _ .

Halfway during their meal, Jaehyun had sneezed. Nobody paid it any mind, saying ‘bless you’ and continuing on with their meal. 

But then he sneezed again, and again, and again. 

Doyoung and Taeyong glanced at each other from across the table, a silent conversation being held in their eyes.

_ He’s sneezing. _

_ Yes I see that. _

_ So, we should check on Leo. _

_ Alright, I’ll go. _

Doyoung wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Jaehyun,” he called. When the other looked at him he continued, “Do you want me to grab you some medicine from the cabinet? It sounds like you could have a cold.”

Jaehyun shook his head, “It’s okay. I usually only get like this when there’s a cat around, which is weird.”

Doyoung laughed awkwardly. “That’s crazy. I’ll grab it just in case.”

He stood up and made his way back to the hallway, again slipping into Taeyong’s room once he was out of sight. He looked over to Leo’s bed and found the kitten…

Not there.

Doyoung stood straight immediately, looking around the small room for the black ball of fur. When he couldn’t spot Leo anywhere he walked out of the room, checking the hallway.

He checked his own room, the bathroom, hell even Johnny’s room. Leo wasn’t anywhere.

Trying not to panic, he quickly grabbed the cold medicine from the cabinet in the bathroom and walked back to the dining room.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted Leo, currently resting on the floor, directly under Jaehyun’s chair.

Doyoung coughed loudly, trying to figure out what to do. Everyone at the table looked at him. 

He discreetly hid the bottle of medicine in his sleeve and called out, “Taeyong, could you help me? I can’t seem to find the medicine.” He plastered a smile on his face when Jaehyun and Jungwoo looked at him questioningly. 

Taeyong instantly understood and stood up, apologizing to Jaehyun and Jungwoo.

Doyoung all but dragged Taeyong into the hallway and out of earshot. “Look under Jaehyun’s chair,” he breathed.

Taeyong scrunched his eyebrows, but still peeked his head from behind the corner and looked to where Jaehyun was sitting. When he noticed the little kitten resting there, not a care in the world, his head snapped back to look at Doyoung.

“What are we going to do?” He asked, panic rising in his voice. “We can’t let them find out.”

“No shit!” Doyoung whisper-yelled. He looked back into the dining room, checking to see if Leo was still in the same spot as before. Luckily, the kitten wasn’t moving, but then Jaehyun sneezed very loudly and Doyoung thought this was the end of the world.

“Okay okay,” Doyoung said after a moment. “I’ll somehow lure Jaehyun into the kitchen, and when we leave you grab Leo and take him back inside your room.”

Taeyong nodded and they both walked back into the living room, fake smiles on their faces, their steps light and hurried.

“Here you go, Jaehyun. How about you come into the kitchen and I’ll get you a glass of warm water, to soothe your throat.”

Jaehyun nodded, already looking worse and worse by the second. His nose was running and his eyes were puffy. He stood up and followed Doyoung into the kitchen. Doyoung shot Taeyong a look, who nodded his head in return.

Taeyong sat down and discreetly slipped his spoon off the table so it clattered to the ground. “Oh! Silly me,” He laughed. He bent down to pick up the spoon and in the process scooped Leo under his shirt. 

Leo started to meow, and to mask the sound Taeyong meowed himself, way too loud. When he looked over, Jungwoo was staring at him, his hand freezing around his chopsticks from where he was about to take another bite of kimchi.

Taeyong chuckled. “I was just… yawning!” He supplied. Jungwoo didn’t look convinced at all, sending Taeyong an incredulous look. “These comfy clothes must be making me too tired. I’ll just go change.” And before Jungwoo could even form a response, Taeyong was racing out of the room, almost tripping on the carpet in the process.

Doyoung wanted to smack his head after hearing the exchange from the kitchen.

“Are you guys trying to hide something?” Jaehyun asked casually, sipping from his glass of water.

Doyoung dropped the plate he was washing and it clattered loudly against the other dishes in the sink.

“What makes you say that?” Doyoung asked, a nervous laugh escaping his lips.

Jaehyun hummed. He didn’t say anything, but stepped closer to Doyoung. He lowered his voice. “You know you can tell me anything hyung.”

Doyoung turned his head slightly to look at Jaehyun. He hated lying to his members, but he just didn’t want Taeyong to get in trouble. It shouldn’t have been such a big deal. He was about to open his mouth to tell Jaehyun the truth but the other spoke up.

“I know you guys are dating.”

At that, Doyoung’s brain short circuited. “What?” He breathed, taken aback by the sudden declaration.

“That’s why you guys are acting so awkward around us and each other, isn’t it? Plus you guys excused yourself from the table two times already.” Jaehyun said calmly. 

Doyoung could only stare dumbfoundedly at his friend. The fact that the other came to  _ that _ conclusion of all things…

“Does your silence mean I’m right?”

Doyoung quickly shook his head and brought his hands up in front of him defensively. “I swear it isn’t like that.  _ We _ aren’t like that.”

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow at him, but accepted Doyoung’s response. “I’m just saying. With the way he looks at you, and the way you look back, I thought it was only a matter of time.”

Feeling his cheeks flare up, Doyoung went back to the dining table and sat down, wordlessly finishing his meal. Jaehyun joined them right after, not saying a word, but the look he sent Doyoung only made Doyoung’s cheeks heat up even further.

Taeyong came back shortly after, apologizing for his behavior. Taeyong kept sending Doyoung looks, to which he only shook his head. The stress of trying to keep Leo away from Jaehyun and Jungwoo and Jaehyun telling him  _ that _ had left him almost completely drained.

“Who wants dessert?” He said warmly after everyone had finished their food and they were chatting lightly with each other.

They all agreed and Doyoung got up to retrieve the ice cream he bought yesterday from the freezer. He didn’t see Jungwoo following him into the kitchen until he turned around and the other was right there. Doyoung yelped and dropped the container in his hands. It hit the floor with a dull thud.

Jungwoo sighed and picked it up. “Both you and Taeyong hyung are way too ansty today,” he commented.

Doyoung slumped his shoulders and whined. “You noticed too?” He made a move to grab four bowls out of the cupboard above the sink.

Jungwoo snorted. “With how long we’ve known each other, of course I noticed. You wanna tell me what’s up? You’ve been even worse ever since you and Jaehyun went to the kitchen. Did he say anything?”

Knowing he couldn’t hide anything from Jungwoo for long, he just shrugged. “He thought Taeyong hyung and I were dating,” he said softly.

“So why did that get you worked up?” Jungwoo asked, no prying tone in his voice.

“Because we aren’t,” Doyoung quickly said. He didn’t know why he was getting so defensive, but Taeyong was his best friend. It’s weird to think about dating his best friend, but yet he couldn’t find it in him to be weirded out at all.

Jungwoo didn’t say anything for a few moments. “But you want to, don’t you?”

Doyoung stayed silent. 

In reality, he didn’t know.

Taeyong was his hyung, his group member, his  _ best friend _ . Wouldn’t dating ruin all of that?

He didn’t know how to feel.

“You’re worried it would change everything,” Jungwoo said softly, voicing the thoughts Doyoung couldn’t even put together.

He looked over at Jungwoo. The other had a warm look on his face, no judgement hidden behind his irises. Only concern for his hyungs.

Doyoung groaned. 

They were trying to hide a cat from Jaehyun and Jungwoo, not trying to figure out Doyoung’s love life.

Which reminded him.

“We have a cat,” he mumbled.

It was silent for a few moments. For a second he thought Jungwoo didn’t hear him but then the other spoke.

“Oh I know.”

Doyoung whipped his head to look at his friend. “You  _ knew _ ?” His voice came out louder than he thought and he clamped his mouth shut, not trying to grab Jaehyun or Taeyong’s attention.

“It was pretty hard not to notice the lump in Taeyong’s shirt. Or the little black tail that stook out of it,” Jungwoo said. “Is this why you were both acting crazy?”

“Well, Jaehyun is allergic and you know the building doesn’t allow pets so…” Doyoung trailed off, voice small.

“Hyung I’m not going to go and rat you out to the building owner or some shit. As for Jaehyun, he won’t die. He has allergy medicine upstairs. Don’t you think it would’ve been better to tell him beforehand so he could’ve taken the medicine?”

Doyoung hadn’t really thought of that. He cursed himself, thinking of the man sitting at the table, with an irritated throat and eyes. 

“You wanna explain how you two turned into cat parents anyways?” Jungwoo continued.

Doyoung snorted at the nickname, but proceeded to tell Jungwoo about what happened over the course of the past few days. He didn’t even hear the fond tone his voice took as he talked about Taeyong.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Jaehyun and Jungwoo left soon after dessert, but not before both giving Doyoung knowing looks, each meaning to tell him something different. 

Doyoung ignored the looks as he closed the door behind his friends. When he turned around, he saw Taeyong had already started to clean away the rest of the plates on the table, bringing them to the kitchen to be washed in the sink.

He thought back to what Jaehyun said, to what Jungwoo said. 

Did it really seem like they were dating? They were just best friends who cared a lot for each other. It wasn’t romantic, right?

Lost in his thoughts, Doyoung helped Taeyong clear off the table, starting on cleaning the dishes once he put them in the sink. 

Him and Taeyong fell into a quiet rhythm, with Doyoung washing the dishes and Taeyong drying them off. The only sound in the apartment was the water running from the faucet and the hum of the air conditioning.

“Doyoung!” Taeyong said suddenly. Doyoung jerked. He looked to his right and found Taeyong had stopped drying the dishes. At closer inspection though, Doyoung saw that they finished washing and drying all the dishes but Doyoung’s hands were still scrubbing at the sink blindly.

He blushed and turned off the faucet, not wanting to waste anymore water. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Did you say something?”

“I didn’t, no,” Taeyong replied. His voice softened and then, “is something bothering you Doyoung? You seemed out of it ever since you and Jungwoo were alone in the kitchen.”

Doyoung felt even more embarrassed that he allowed his true emotions to show through. He was trying hard not to let anyone see how affected he was by Jungwoo’s words, but Taeyong easily saw through that.

Knowing he couldn’t hide anything from his hyung, he sighed. “Jungwoo knows about the cat.”

Taeyong’s eyes widened a little but then his cheeks flushed. “Awe dang, I was hoping he wouldn’t notice. He’s really smart.”

Doyoung couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “I don’t think you have to be really smart to notice when someone has a black lump of fur underneath their shirt,” he teased, poking at Taeyong’s shoulder.

“Hey, watch it! Your hands are all soapy,” Taeyong chuckled. But Doyoung only smirked and grabbed a handful of soap bubbles from the sink before launching himself at Taeyong.

Taeyong squealed as Doyoung threw bubbles on him, wailing his hands in an attempt to defend himself from the attack. He got a hold of one of Doyoung’s wrists, but Doyoung was still able to use his other hand to grab at Taeyong’s shoulder, smearing water and bubbles across his shirt.

“Doyoung!” Taeyong yelled, his cries futile as Doyoung laughed. 

He continued to torment his hyung with bubbles. At one point, Taeyong tried to back away out of Doyoung’s grasp, but the floor was wet and he missed his footing. Taeyong was about to fall backwards before Doyoung suddenly reacted and wrapped his arm around Taeyong’s waist, the other hand grabbing Taeyong’s wrist right next to his face.

They both stood still, everything turning silent around them. Doyoung held his breath and when his eyes met Taeyong’s, he saw the other’s eyes were wide from the sudden fear of tripping, and his cheeks were dusted pink from their fighting. His chest was heaving as he tried to calm his breath. He looked beautiful.

_ But you want to, don’t you? _

Jungwoo’s voice suddenly crowded Doyoung’s mind, and all he could think about was the man under him being _his_ _boyfriend_.

It was too much. He shouldn’t have these thoughts. Taeyong was his member, his best friend. He’d be selfish to want something more.

Doyoung quickly let go of Taeyong and pushed off him.

“I’ll go to bed first,” He mumbled, before running out of the kitchen.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


That night, Leo quietly came into his room with something between his teeth.

Doyoung welcomed the kitten under his bedsheets with ease, letting him curl into his side.

“What is this?” He asked quietly, gingerly taking the piece of paper from Leo’s mouth. The kitten only meowed softly before resting his head on his paws.

Doyoung slowly unfolded the piece of paper, hand subconsciously leaning down to lightly pet Leo’s fur as the kitten slowly drifted to sleep.

He instantly recognized the handwriting in the note and couldn’t help the twinge of his heart.

_ Sorry that I brought you into my mess. I’m going to take Leo to an adoption center tomorrow. I thought you’d like one last night with him.. _

_ P.S. sorry for making things awkward earlier _

_ TY _

Doyoung wanted to smack Taeyong across the head. What the hell was he doing blaming himself? This was just as much Doyoung’s mess as it was his.

He looked down at Leo, his heart heavy. It had only been three days since Taeyong brought the kitten home, but Doyoung had already grown attached to him and didn’t want to leave him. But he knew they couldn’t keep him in the dorm.

_ Sorry for making things awkward earlier _

Doyoung cursed himself. If anything, he was the one who made things awkward earlier. God, what was wrong with him, backing away from Taeyong like that and running away? The older probably thought he was angry with him for not being able to keep their secret from Jungwoo.

Doyoung wasn’t angry. He could never be angry at his hyung for just trying to show kindness to everyone around him.

Suddenly not tired anymore, Doyoung sat up in bed and grabbed his phone, careful not to stir Leo. The little kitten didn’t move though, fast asleep next to Doyoung’s lap.

Unlocking his phone and going to the contacts app, Doyoung quickly found the number he was looking for and pressed  _ call _ .

After a couple of rings, the person the other side picked up.

“Hyung,” Doyoung said excitedly.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


When Doyoung woke up, Leo was gone.

He would have to act fast.

There weren’t any dirty dishes in the kitchen sink when Doyoung checked, which only meant Taeyong didn’t have breakfast or he already left and would buy something.

The time was 11am. The adoption center always opens at 10:30am. 

He didn’t have anytime to waste.

He forewent a shower in favor of changing as quickly as possible and making his way out of the apartment.

The nearest adoption center to their dorm was about 20 minutes away via metro. Doyoung practically ran, making sure to check his phone every couple of minutes to see if he got a message.

Thankfully, the metro wasn’t too busy and Doyoung was able to make it to the neighborhood with the adoption center in record time, the small building a couple blocks away from the station.

He didn’t know if Taeyong would be inside or if he already left, but there was only one way to find out.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the message he got. 

His beating heart was instantly calmed down, and he started walking down the street towards the center.

His eyes lingered around the different buildings in the neighborhood, and if he wasn’t looking he would have completely missed him.

Sitting at a table in a cafe a couple feet away from the adoption center was Taeyong.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Doyoung quickly turned and walked into the small cafe. The lady at the counter greeted him warmly, but he shook his head politely and turned to the table where Taeyong was sitting. The other didn’t even notice the door opened and Doyoung had walked in. He was tapping absentmindedly on the table, eyes looking somewhere off in the distance.

Doyoung quietly made his way over and sat in the chair across Taeyong.

“Hyung,” he called softly, alerting the man in front of him of his presence.

Taeyong looked over to meet Doyoung’s eyes, and Doyoung noticed his eyes were rimmed red and he had heavy eyebags. He really loved Leo a lot.

“I’m sorry, Doyoung. I didn’t mean to do it like this, but I didn’t know how to face you after yesterday and I just thought this would-”

“Taeyong hyung,” Doyoung interrupted, hearing the sad tone in the older’s voice. Taeyong looked at him. “It’s okay,” Doyoung continued. “About yesterday, that was my fault, it had nothing to do with you. And as for Leo, this was for the best. We knew sooner or later we would have to let him go.”

Taeyong nodded, but it didn’t do anything to get rid of the slump of his shoulders. “I just hope he finds a family that will care for him a lot.,” he said softly, heart aching for the kitten.

At that, Doyoung smiled even wider. “You won’t have to worry about that.”

He stood up, ignoring the questioning gaze that Taeyong sent him, and walked out of the center. Taeyong went after him, confusion clear on his features.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked.

Doyoung only smiled. “Follow me and find out.”

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Another metro ride later, and they found themselves in a neighborhood close to their dorm but far enough that they couldn’t walk home.

“Where are we?” Taeyong asked, looking around as they walked out of the metro station.

“Stop asking questions and trust me,” Doyoung huffed.

Doyoung led them into a tall apartment building, similar to their own but more high end. He easily walked over to a wall that held all the apartment numbers with buttons next to him. He chose the appropriate button and heard the light ringing sound. Almost instantly, the second door to the building unlocked, and Doyoung and Taeyong stepped through.

“This place is so nice,” Taeyong commented quietly.

“You’re right, though I hear a lot of the people who live here can be snobs,” Doyoung replied as they stepped into the elevator. He pressed the button for the 7th floor once the doors closed.

A comfortable silence fell over them as the elevator ascended to the 7th floor. They didn’t mention what happened yesterday. They didn’t need to right now. If it was something that really bothered one of them, they wouldn’t hesitate to talk to the other. That was how they worked. They confided in each other, and they helped each other. They shared their burdens, and never let one of them hide his problems for too long.

The elevator dinged and they walked to the apartment all the way at the end of the hallway.

Doyoung knocked twice on the door before it was opened by 

“Gongmyung hyung?” Taeyong said, confusion intensifying.

“Hey Taeyong. I haven’t seen you in a while. Come in guys,” Gongmyung replied, voice warm and welcoming. 

Both men walked into the apartment, Doyoung easily taking off his shoes and making his way to the couch, while Taeyong hesitated slightly with everything he was doing.

“It’s good to see you hyung,” Taeyong started once he took his shoes off, “but why are we here?” 

At that moment, a small black kitten ran up to Taeyong, meowing loudly.

“Leo!” Taeyong exclaiming, picking up the little kitten and holding him in his arms. “Oh my god what are you doing here? I just dropped you off at the center this morning.”

Doyoung smiled at the sight. Taeyong instantly brightened when he had Leo in his arms again. The older loved the little kitten so much, and Doyoung knew he made the right choice.

“I decided to adopt him,” Gongmyung explained, giving Doyoung a glass of water before making his way over to where Taeyong sat on the floor by the entrance, playing with Leo.

Taeyong’s eyes shot up as he stared at Gongmyung incredulously. “Really?” He breathed. Gongmyung laughed and nodded his head.

“Did you honestly think I was going to let you give away Leo just like that?” Doyoung huffed, taking a sip of his water.

Taeyong stood up with Leo in his arms and walked over to where Doyoung was sitting on the couch. He sat down next to Doyoung and sent him a dazzling smile. Doyoung’s heart sang.

“I don’t even know what to say Doyoung,” Taeyong whispered, petting Leo.

Doyoung snorted. “How about ‘thank you’,” he joked.

He didn’t expect for Taeyong to suddenly wrap his arms around his neck in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around Taeyong in return, though, reveling in the affection.

“Thank you,” Taeyong said into Doyoung’s ear, quiet enough that only Doyoung could hear.

“It was nothing,” Doyoung said, blushing. “I was going to miss Leo as much as you.”

Taeyong pulled back and sent Doyoung another flashing smile, and Doyoung thought  _ I want to be the reason he smiles every day. _

The thought hit him like the tides. Calm and slow, steadily getting closer and closer to the shore as low tide moved into high tide. The waves weren’t harsh, no. They kissed the sandy beach of Doyoung’s heart, eventually washing over it all, consuming him, but not suffocating.

He wanted to be Taeyong’s happiness. He wanted to be part of the reason Taeyong kept on smiling. He wanted to be the one that Taeyong turned to on the days that smiling was too difficult. He wanted to be it all.

He loved his best friend.

And he let himself be okay with that.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Doyoung and Taeyong spent the next few hours at Gongmyung’s playing with Leo and telling Gongmyung all about what they’ve learned the cat likes and doesn’t like.

By the time they arrived back at the dorm, Donghyuck was home.

“Hyungs! I didn’t know you guys wouldn’t be home,” He said excitedly, bringing both of his hyungs into a tight hug.

“Hey Donghyuck, how was your trip?” Doyoung asked.

“The beach was so nice, oh my god,” Donghyuck replied, backing away from Doyoung and Taeyong once he finished giving them a hug. “We definitely need to go with the 127 hyungs.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Taeyong said warmly, his mood naturally being lifted by the youngest’s energy.

“Was it boring without me?” Donghyuck teased, stepping out of the way so Doyoung and Taeyong could walk into the apartment.

“You don’t know how boring it is with Taeyong,” Doyoung drawled, narrowingly escaping a slap to the shoulder from Taeyong.

“Says you! All you do is stay in your room watching videos. I barely saw you,” Taeyong grumbled. Doyoung instantly saw what Taeyong was doing. There wasn’t any need to mention the kitten to any of the other members now that they sorted it all out.

Doyoung only scoffed. “Whatever. I’m starving. Donghyuck, have you eaten? I’ll make you lunch,” He said, already making his way to the kitchen to start on preparing a meal.

“I’d love that hyung. Thank you,” Donghyuck chirped, following Doyoung to the kitchen.

Taeyong was about to turn to head to his room when Doyoung suddenly yelled. “You’re also eating, hyung. We didn’t have anything at Gongmyung’s and I know you didn’t have breakfast.”

Doyoung saw Taeyong laugh sheepishly from his spot in the kitchen, telling him his suspicions were right. Taeyong nodded in response before going into his room.

“Gongmyung? Why were you two at your brother’s?” Donghyuck asked from his spot next to Doyoung in front of the counter.

“I wanted to pay him a visit and Taeyong decided to tag along,” Doyoung explained. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, but the reason for their visit was still a secret. Doyoung reasoned the members would meet Leo sooner or later because Taeyong insisted on bringing him back to the dorm whenever he could to play with the kitten or going over to Gongmyung’s on his own. Adding the fact that Jungwoo already knew, it was only a matter of time.

“Anyways,” Doyoung continued, sending Donghyuck a smile, “What do you want to eat?”

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


It was around midnight. 

Doyoung couldn’t sleep.

He kept waiting for the little black kitten to sneak through his slightly open door and crawl into his bedsheets. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen. Leo was at Gongmyung’s, but at least now he and Taeyong would be able to see Leo more often without worrying about allergies or building rules.

The door to his room creaked open slightly, and Doyoung’s heart skipped a beat. He knew it wasn’t Leo, but he was still surprised when he looked over and found Taeyong standing in his doorway, hesitant to enter.

“Doyoung?” The older called quietly. “Are you asleep?”

“Unfortunately yes,” Doyoung called back, sitting up against his pillows. He beckoned the other over, and Taeyong didn’t waste any time closing the door behind him and sitting on the edge of Doyoung’s bed.

“What’s up?” Doyoung asked.

Taeyong played with the edge of Doyoung’s blanket, not saying anything for a few moments. Doyoung stayed silent, allowing the other to collect his thoughts.

As he thought, Taeyong spoke up after a few moments. “I wanted to thank you again for what you did,” he started, looking up at Doyoung with a grateful look on his face. Doyoung’s heart clenched at the sight.

_ I would do anything for you _ , he wanted to say, but he let Taeyong continue talking.

“I know this was my mess to begin with, even if you insist that it was yours too,” Taeyong laughed when Doyoung furrowed his eyebrows in protest. “You were right when you said we couldn’t keep Leo. Jaehyun is allergic, the building doesn’t allow pets, and we’re always busy as idols. I didn’t know what else to do besides accept the fact that I would have to let go of him. I didn’t mean to tell you, I just didn’t know if you wanted to speak to me after what happened yesterday,” He chuckled suddenly. “I thought I did something wrong or that you were suddenly repulsed by my face.”

“Taeyong,” Doyoung said softly. “You know I would never be repulsed by you.” Taeyong nodded slightly, hanging his head. “About yesterday, it wasn’t your fault. We were just having fun and then got caught in a moment and my brain just short circuited for a second. In all honesty, I wish I didn’t move away so suddenly,” he finished quietly, cheeks heating up at the suggestion behind his words.

“What does that mean?” Taeyong asked. He picked his head up and stared at Doyoung head on. There was something in his eyes, and Doyoung couldn’t hide anything from him.

“Yesterday,” Doyoung started, “Both Jungwoo and Jaehyun suggested that we were a couple. Like, romantic and everything. It’s weird I know.”

Taeyong didn’t say anything for a moment, processing Doyoung’s words.

“Is it really that weird?”

“What?” Doyoung asked.

Taeyong stared into Doyoung’s eyes, a quiet resolution in them. “Is it really that weird to see us as a couple?” His voice was small and hesitant.

“No, no,” Doyoung said. “I just meant that it was weird that they both thought that and both decided to mention it yesterday suddenly.’

Taeyong hummed, but didn’t say much. Doyoung knew there was something else.

“Is it weird for you?” Doyoung asked, scooting a little closer to Taeyong on the bed.

Taeyong looked somewhere off to his right for a few moments before turning to look at Doyoung again. “If I’m being honest?”

Doyoung nodded.

“It’s not weird at all. In fact, I think I like how it sounds.”

Doyoung couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Huh?” He breathed softly, subconsciously leaning away from Taeyong.

“You’re probably going to hate me when I tell you this because it’ll ruin everything but, I think I like you Doyoung. And not in a best friend dongsaeng kind of way. In a ‘I kind of want to kiss you’ kind of way. I tried to hide it for a while because I didn’t want to lose you as a friend, but over the past few days I just couldn’t help but fall for you even more. You helped me hide Leo so easily, and cared for him as well. And then you went and made sure he was adopted by somebody who could take care of him without me having to lose him forever. You did that all and I just,” he paused, gave Doyoung a small smile, “I couldn’t help but think that you were my everything.”

Doyoung didn’t even realize that his eyes were slightly blurry. “Hyung, you suck,” he grumbled. “I think I like you too,” he mumbled, wiping his eyes before any tears escaped.

“What?” Taeyong shot up, not expecting that response from Doyoung.

Doyoung nodded his head and took in a deep breath. “When you brought home Leo my first thought was ‘wow he’s so dumb’ but then it quickly changed to ‘how can I protect him so he can keep this cat?’ Seeing you so excited to play with Leo and care for him warmed my heart. You’re so good with him, and the look on your face when you found out he wasn’t gone forever made me realize I wanted to be the reason you smiled like that.”

They were both silent after that, realizing what their words meant for each other.

“Doyoung,” Taeyong spoke up first. “I never imagined you might actually like me back, and it makes my heart soar.” He gave Doyoung a smile that Doyoung couldn’t help but return. “I don’t want to rush you into anything. We’re still idols, and I don’t want to put our relationship or our job at risk.”

“Hyung, it’s alright,” Doyoung said. Taeyong was always worrying about the wellbeing of the group and the members, it was heartwarming to see. “Let’s take it slow, but I do want to see where this goes, even if that’s selfish of me.”

Taeyong chuckled and hesitantly took Doyoung’s hand in his own. “Well then I guess I’m selfish too,” he said, quietly interlacing his fingers with Doyoung’s.

Doyoung’s cheeks warmed as he looked down at their interlocked hands.

He could get used to this.

  
  
  


***

  
  


_ 6 months later _

Doyoung’s birthday had just passed, and with it the remaining snowstorms of the early year. It was still cold, but the streets didn’t have their usual white blankets anymore.

All the members were gathered in a restaurant to celebrate Johnny’s birthday.

While everyone was having fun singing ‘Happy Birthday’, Taeyong lightly rested his hand on Doyoung’s knee. Once the song finished, Doyoung looked at Taeyong questioningly. The other just smiled and squeezed his knee.

They had been officially together for about 4 months. When they said they wanted to take it slow, they  _ really _ took it slow. They were always cautious with each other, figuring out the new boundaries that came with taking the next step in their relationship, and always making sure they were being honest with each other. It took some time, but they were attuned to the other’s personality. Nothing really changed much, besides the fact that now they kissed and held hands.

After all, they were still best friends.

Later that night, when everyone retreated to their individual rooms, Taeyong snuck into Doyoung’s room. It wasn’t really sneaking at this point because Doyoung purposefully left his door slightly ajar in the case that Taeyong would come in and let Doyoung cuddle him.

This night, instead of just slipping underneath Doyoung’s covers like he always did, Taeyong sat on the edge of Doyoung’s bed and lightly shook his leg.

“What is it?” Doyoung mumbled, already half asleep. He rubbed his eyes and sat up on his elbows, looking at Taeyong in the dark.

“I got something for you,” Taeyong responded, scooting closer to Doyoung.

“My birthday already passed, hyung. Besides, you already got me a gift,” Doyoung responded, laying back against his pillows.

Taeyong didn’t let him lay for long though before something soft was pressed against his hands.

He opened his eyes and looked down. He couldn’t see exactly what it was in the dark, but he recognized the feeling of a small plushie as he felt the gift.

“You got me another plushie?” Doyoung asked. He had a whole row of plushies he used to sleep with against the wall of his bed. Recently, though, he’s been sleeping with something much bigger and much warmer.

Taeyong reached over to the lamp on Doyoung’s bedside table and promptly turned it on, the warm light pooling into that part of the room. It took a moment for Doyoung’s eyes to adjust, but when they did, he saw that the plushie his boyfriend,  _ boyfriend! _ , bought for him, was a small black cat. 

At closer inspection, Doyoung saw a small collar around the cat plushie, and the little pendant around it read “Leo”.

He couldn’t help but smile. “Cheesy,” he whispered, shaking his head.

“We’ve been busy with our second tour so we both haven’t been able to see him, so I thought you could have this for whenever you missed him.,” Taeyong explained.

Doyoung let out a small laugh. “Shouldn’t this be yours then? You miss him more than me.”

Taeyong scoffed. “I’m just more vocal about it. Now accept plushie Leo and move over so we can sleep.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes, but he still placed Leo in the row of his plushies and moved closer to the wall. Taeyong turned off the lamp on the table and got underneath the covers.

They instantly snuggled into each other, falling asleep with ease.

**Author's Note:**

> this is what Leo looks [like](https://twitter.com/strwberrydo/status/1284260338515484677?s=21%E2%80%9D>like</a>%0A%0AI%20hope%20you%20guys%20enjoyed%20it%20as%20much%20as%20I%20enjoyed%20writing%20it!%0A%0Acomments%20and%20kudos%20are%20greatly%20appreciated!!%0A%0A%C2%A0%0A%0Amy%20<a%20rel=)
> 
> I hope you guys liked reading it as much as I liked writing it!
> 
> comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3


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